Owner`s manual

162 July/August 2013 the absolute sound
link in the reproduction chain, if indeed they were in the past.
For me the bottom line on the Benchmark DAC2 HGC is that
is it not only good enough to live with long-term, it’s good enough
to use for any mastering or recording projects that might come up.
The DAC2 HGC is easy to listen through, highly revealing, and
with well-recorded material astonishingly three-dimensional.
Lynx Hilo
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were PCI sound cards for computer-audio interfaces. While PCI
cards still play a prominent role in Lynx’s lineup, its latest devices
have been stand-alone digital interface gear such as the Hilo
Reference A/D D/A Converter System. The Hilo incorporates
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controls all of the Hilo’s primary functions. My review sample
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The Hilo combines a unique feature set with one of the most
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gate array). Virtually any input can be routed to any output.
Also any input can be routed to play from any of Hilo’s three
outputs—line, monitor, or headphone. Hilo simultaneously
supports eight digital channels at 192/24 or sixteen channels at
96/24. With the addition of Lynx LT-USB L-Slot, the Hilo also
supports USB 2.0 inputs at bit-rates up to 192/24 for PCM and
64x (2.8MHz) for DSD.
The Hilo includes a built-in two-channel analog-to-digital
converter, so analog sources can easily be brought into the digital
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it can be used, Lynx has over a dozen downloadable fact sheets
on its site that cover how to employ the Hilo for overdubbing,
mastering, location recording, and archiving vinyl records.
Setup and Day-to-Day Use
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a learning curve when they begin. I recommend reading the
manual thoroughly before trying to set up the Hilo. I didn’t
follow my own advice and paid the price. Unlike most digital
preamps I’ve reviewed in the past, the Hilo’s “line out” was a
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output controlled by the volume knob on the front panel. If
you assume, as I did, that the “line out” would be the variable-
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is standard on most consumer audio devices, you stand a good
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goes through the Hilo.
I had two seconds of panic when a pair of ProAc Tablettes got
exposed to full-scale output from an Accuphase P-300 before I
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and marketing, explained to me that in order to make the “line
out” the “alpha” best-quality output, Lynx decided to bypass the
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